UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS

New Zealand’s Parliament on 16 September 2026 passed legislation to implement the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India. The legislation was approved by 93 votes to 29, with support from the opposition Labour Party.

A striking reversal has emerged in the traditional Hilsa (Ilish) trade between India and Bangladesh. India, which is better known for importing the prized fish from Bangladesh particularly to meet festive demand in West Bengal has begun exporting substantial quantities of Hilsa to its eastern neighbour.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the fifth edition of SEMICON India 2026 on September 17, 2026, at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi. The three-day event will be held from September 17 to 19 and will focus on strengthening India’s semiconductor and electronics ecosystem.

The World Circular Economy Forum 2026 will begin in Gandhinagar on September 15, 2026. The event will be jointly inaugurated by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released, for the first time, district-level estimates of India’s informal economy based on the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE), 2025.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the completion of India’s more than 2,800-km Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) as a historic milestone for the country’s transport infrastructure.

The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has undertaken an assessment of potential sites in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for the deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

The Government approved Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0 on 5 May 2026 to support businesses affected by external economic disruptions and geopolitical developments.

The Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) has upgraded India’s sovereign credit rating from BBB+ to A-, citing strong economic growth, financial stability and policies supporting productivity and development.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the Quarterly Estimates of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Q1 of FY 2026-27 on 31 August 2026.